Washing-machine.



G. H. MYRiCK.

WASHING MALHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1m 23, 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I G. H MYRICK.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23, 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nnirnn TATE n'rnnr osrion.

GEORGE H. MYRICK, OF CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CAPITAL ELECTRICCOM- QANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORFORATION OF ILLINOIS.

NASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J line 5, 1916.

T 0 all whom m (53,! concern Be it known that Gnonor. H. Mrnicn. acitizen of the nited State? residing at Chicago. in the county of Cookand State of lllinois. have in ented a certain new and usefullinprorement in W'ashing-Machincs, of which the following full, clear.concise. and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an iu'iproved form of washing machine in whichthe articles to be washed are moved in the solution by means of whichthey are washed byvthe projection into and through said articles of astream of the solution; and in the embodiment of my invention hereinafter illustrated, I provide a rotary cylirn der for containing thearticles to be washed, such as clothing, against which thcstrcam ofsolution. as water and soap, is projected tangentially or nearly so bymeans of a fan or screw propeller. This fan is electrically tll'l\ellilllil the motor is arranged to be used to drive a wringcr, if desired.Suitable devices of novel construction and arrangement are provided tooperatively connect the wringer with the, motor when desired. Thecylinder employed to contain the fabrics to be washed is of openworkconstruction so that the water and soap solution projected against theside of the cylinder not only imparts to it a rotary motion,

but the solution is also projected through the walls of the cylinder andinto and through the fabrics, thus agitating the same and greatlyassisting in separating from the fabrics the dirt contained in them.

As will hereinafter be more fully pointed out the rotary cylinder orfabric container is capable of being easily manipulated to move thecontainer to its operating position after the fabrics to be washed havebeen placed therein, and to mow he container to such a position that theclothes may be readily and easily removed therefrom, after the washingoperation has been completed. The mechanism whereby this manipulation ofthe fabric cylinder or container is made possible. comprises broadlybail-like cylinder lifter and a pair of hearings, or brackets. carriedby the washer tank and with which the lifter cooperates. As will beuently explained the lifter and brackets referred to are"adapted tosecurely lock the fabric container in either its raised or operatingposition. As will hereinafter appear in the use of my. improved Washingmachine, it is essential that after the fabric container has beenfilled. with articles to be washed and submerged in the solution withinthe washer tank, that the fabric container be locked in operatingposition inasmuch as the fabrics to be washed, until they are thoroughlysoaked, contain a considerable amount of air and tend to float thecontainer. After the washing operation is completed the fabriccontaineris raimd from its operating position and is locked in raisedposition by the mechanism previously referred to. T he operator isthusenabled to permit. the washed fabrics to drain to a greater or lessextent before removing them from thi container.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof parts fully set forth in the following detailed descrip= tion inwhich reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevational View of the improvedwashing machine of my invention, certain parts being illustrated insection to more clearly reveal the construction, Fig. :2 is across-sectional view taken on the line 2, :2, of Fig. 1, and looking inthe direction indicated by the ariows, ig. 3 is a view partly in sectionand partly in elevation taken on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 2, and lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows, Fig. 4 is a'fragmentarydetailed View illustrating how the fabric container is locked in raisedposition, Fig.

5. is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5, 5, of Fig. 3,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 6 is anisolated detailed view partly in section and partly in elevationillustrating the mechanism. for operatively connecting the wringer withthe motor to drive the wringer in either direction as desired.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

As illustrated in the drawings the washing machine 01 my inventioncomprises av framework 10, preferably constructed of metal angles.Supported by the framework 10 is a sheet metal tank 11 convenientlyprovided with asuitahle drain cock 12. As is most clearly illustrated inFig. 2 the sheet loo ' which forms I ric' s may be suitable filler orfillers 13 of wood or other suitable material to lend rigidity to thetank and to form shoulders to engage the machine framework 10 to supportthe tank wholly or in part. As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 thetank 11 is provided with a co 'er 14, comprising two sections 14 and 14"hingedly connected. The cover 14 may be entirely removed from the tankwhen desired. Carried by the portion 14" of the cover is a deflector orbaffle 15, the deflecting surface of which is preferably substantiallyconcentric with theaais of the fabric container when the latter is inoperating po sition. Disposed on the inner side of each one of thelateral walls of the tank 11 is a bracket 16 in the form of a metalangle riveted or otherwise secured to the tank.

These brackets 16 are engaged by and support the deflector when theparts are in the positions illustrated in Fig. 2.

Carried by the inner faces of the lateral walls of the tank 11 arebrackets 17 which serve as bearings for the rotatable cylinder or fabriccontainer illustrated at 18. The container 18 is preferably in the formof heads 18*, 18, which carry the screen 18 the cylindrical surface ofthe container. vided with a suitable door whereby the fab placed in andremoved from the container, but I have not thought it necessary toillustrate such a door in the drawings. Each of the heads 1S isprovidedwith an and loosely disposed around each one of said trunnions is thelower end of an arm 20, the arms 20 being provided with a connecting rod21 which serves as a handle for the bail or cylinder lifter. Theconnecting rod 21 may, of course, be provided with a sleeve of wood, orother material, as illustrated. Attention is directedto the fact thateach of the brackets or bearings 17 is conformed to present asubstantially vertical section 17*, a substantially horizontal surface17 near the upper end of the longer arm of the bracket, a substantiallyhorizontal surface 17 near the lower portion of the longer arm of thebracket and a substantially vertical surface17 at the lower end of theshorter arm of the bracket.

The arms 20 of the bail-like fabric container lifter are provided withhubs 22 concentric with the trunnions of the fabric con,- tainer orcylinder. These hubs are arranged to rest in the lower portions of theirassoc-iategl brackets 17 when the fabric container is in operatingposition. Attention is directed to the fact that formed integral witheach f the hubs 22 is a lug 22*. When the seveifil parts are in thepositions illustrated in F igjl/Q the weight of the bail-like liftercauses it to assume the position as shown in the drawings. and thus thelugs 22 coming will be understood The container is of courseprooutwardly projecting trunnion 19 into engagement with the horizontalsurfaces 17 of the rackets 17 serve to lock the fabric container in itsoperating position. It that after dry clothes are placed in the fabriccontainer and the same is immersed in the solution in the tank the airentrained in the fabrics will 'tend to float the container unless somemeans is provided for locking the container in its operating position.

As will be hereinafter more fully explained the cylinder or fabriccontainer is rotated and theclothes are washed by means of a stream ofsolution projected against and through the container. After the fabricsin the container have been washed the cover for the tank is removed andthe baillike lifter is moved to such a position that the lugs 22 comeinto engagement with the short vertical surfaces 17 of the brackets. Byso doing the container is unlocked and may be raised to the positionshown in Fig. l. After the container has been so raised the bail ispermitted to assume the position shown in F ig, 4 and the lugs 22engaging the horizontal surfaces 17 of their associated bracketseffectually serve to lock the container in its raised position. It willthus be seen that after fabrics have been washed the container maybe'raised to the-position shown in Fig. 4 to permit the articles todrain before they are removed from the con .tainerl Moreover thisfacilitates the re moval of the fabrics from the container.

Suitably supported by the machine framework 10 is an electric motor 25which may conveniently provided with a shield 26 as illustrated in thedrawings. As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 the motor shaft 27passes through a housing 28 and is provided with a worm 29 meshing witha wormwheel 30 mounted upon a shaft 31 which extends from the housing 28through an in closing tube 32 to another housing 33 where said shaft isprovided with a bevel-gear 34. The several housings may be formed(integral with one another or otherwise as desired. Meshing with thebevel-gear 34, as most clearly illustrated in n 35 mounted upon avertical shaft 36 which has a relatively loose bearing in the hous= ing33. The shaft 36 extends upwardly from the housing 33 through a shafthousing 37 to a gear housing 38 supported by the framework of a wringer39 which is mounted upon the tank as illustrated. As is most clearlyillustrated in Fig. 6 the lowermost,

roller of the wringer extends into the housing 38 and is there providedwith bevelgears 40 and 41 fixed upon the shaft of the wringer roller andadapted to be operatively engaged by the bevel-gear 42 fixed upon theupper end of the shaft 36. .The bevel-gear 42 normally has a positionwhereby it is out of engagement with both of the. gears 40 is abeveLgea-i crating handle 45.

and elbut it may be moved into engagement with either of them. hehousing is conformed to provide a thamber 43 in which is movably mounteda-block H which serves as a bearing for the upoer end of the shaft 36.Formed in the bloclcll is a chan nel 45. Mounted in the hou'singZSS is ashaft 46 provided at each end with an op- It will be seen that thisshaft is conformed to have an eccentric middle portion of. reducedcross-section which passes through the channel l5 ot' the block all.Thus it will be seen that by oscil lating the shaft 46 the bevel-gear 42may be moved from its neutral position into engagement with either thebevel-gear i0 or the bevel-gear 41 or vice versa.

The shaft 27 of the motor is operatively connected with a fan or screwpropeller 49, the shaft of which has suitable bearings carried by thebottom of the tank 11. A. suitable clutch is desirably interposedbetween the fan or propeller l9 and the shaft of the motor. However, Ihave not deemed it necessary to illustrate such clutch mechanism in thepresent application. It will. sufiice to say that such clutch mechanismi actuated by means of an operating rod 50 most clearly illustrated inFig. 2.

As a result of the construction described when the fabrics to be washedhave been placed in the cylinder or container and the usual soap andwater solution has been placed in the tank 11 to the proper depth,preferably to the top of the container when it is in operating position,the motor is started and the fan operatively connected with the motor.The fan has a direction of rotation such as to project a stream of waterupwardly against the right-hand side of the cylinder or container (Fig.2) with the result that the cylinder is rotated upon impact of thesolution against the same. The wire netting of the container permits alarge portion of the water to project into and against the fabrics to bewashed with the result that the fabrics are manipulated mechanically bythe water thus projected, this becoming an effective factor in washingthe fabrics.

The rotation of the cylinder or fabric con- .ta-iner 22 and the streamof Water from the upon the left'hand side of the cylinder (Fig. 2) andthence returning along the bottom of the tank to the 'suctionside of thefan 49. That portion of the solution which is forced into the cylinderor fabric container is drawn out of the cylinder at The soap and watersolu- &

the left-hand side thereof due to the suction created by the fan.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A washing machine, comprising in combination a tank adapted tocontain a suitable washing; solution. a removable cy lindricalcontainer. trunnions on the heads of said cylindrical container, a pairof brackets carried in and by the tank arranged to support the containerwithin the tank. a lifter for said container in the form of a bail,having its ends journaled upon said u'unnions, an abutment on each ofsaid brackets, and a fixed projection on each end of said bail likelifter adapted to engage one of said abutments to lock the container inposition when the lifter is in a certain position, the engagement ofsaid projections with their cooperating bracket abutments as well astheir release therefrom being effected by moving the bail-like lifteraround its axis.

2. In a washing" machine of the class described, a tank adapted tocontain a suitable washing solution. a container for articles to bewashed disposed within the tank but removable therefrom, means carriedby the tank arranged to pivotallv sup port the container for movementwithin the tank and a lifter for said container pivoted thereto andadapted to engage means fixed with respect to the tank to lock thecontainer in its supporting means, said lifter operable to lock orunlock the container by moving the lifter around its axis. v

3. A washing machine, comprising in combination with a tank adapted tocontain a suitable washing solution. a pair of oppositely disposedbrackets within the tank. a cylindrical container for articles to bewashed, adapted to be removably journaled in said brackets, and a lifterpivoted to said cylindrical container, said lifter adapted to be graspedto raise the container, but nor mally held by gravity in a certainposition wherein itcooperates with the brackets to lock the container inposition.

4. A washing machine, comprising in combination .a tank adapted tocontain a suitable washing solution and pro iding bearings for aremovable container for articles to be washed, a container for thearticles to be washed, a locking device pivoted to said container,normally assuming a certain position out of a vertical plane under theforce of gravity, said locking device provided .with a portion, adapted.when the said locking'device is in said position, to engage "means fixed'with respect to the tank to lock the container in position. lockingdevice adapted to be grasped and moved to a position in a substantiallyyertical plane, in which last mentioned position it is released from themeans with which it cooperates to lock the container.

5. A Washing machine comprising in combination a tank arranged tocontain a suitable Washing solution, a removable container for articlesto be washed tank, means carried by the tank arranged to support saidcontainer formovenient on a horizontal axis. and a lifter pivoted tosaid container, said lifter when '11 normal position engaging thesupporting means to lock the container in position, but adapted to begrasped to release the container and raise the same, the lifter.being-operable to effect its engagement with ordisengagement from thesupporting means by moving the lifter around its axis.

6. A washing machine, comprising in combination a.tank, a container forarticles to be Washed, means carried by the tank arranged to pivotallysupport the container for movement about a horizontal axis, and a lifterpivoted to said container, normally assuming a certain position, wherebyit c0- operates with the supporting means to lock the container inposition, said lifter being operable to release the container by movingthe lifter around its axis.

7. A washing machine, comprising in com-, bination a tank,- a pair ofoppositely and vertically disposed brackets carried by the tank, each ofsaid bracii-ts being of substantial U shape, but having one leg thereofextended to form a guide, a container for articles to be washed,arranged to be removably journaled in said brackets, a bail-like lifterfor said container, normally cooperating with the supporting brackets tolock the container in operating position, but adapted to be grasped torelease the container the latter along the guides afforded by theextended legs of said U shaped brackets.

8. A washing machine, comprising in combination a tank, a pair ofoppositely disposed brackets within the tank, each of said bracketsbeing of substantially U shape, and provided with two shoulders atdifferent heights upon one of the legs, thereof, a container forarticles to be washed, removably journaled in said U shaped brackets,and a lifter for said container, normally cooperat ing with thelowermost pair of said 'brac'ket shoulders to lock the container inoperating position, but arranged to be grasped to raise the container toa positionsuch that the lifter in a similar mannercotiperates with theuppermost pair of said bracket shoulders, to lock the container inraised position.

9. A washing machine, comprising in combination a tank, a pair ofoppositely disposed U shaped brackets carried within the tank, acontainer for articles to be washed,

disposed within-the and raise removably ournaled in said brackets, eachof said brackets having one leg thereof conformed to present twoshoulders at different heights witha guiding surface between them, and alifter pivoted to said container, provided with portions normallycooperating with the lowermost pair of bracket shoulders to lock butadapted to be tainer and raise the same along the guiding surfacesintermediate the bracket shoulders, said lifter also arranged tocooperate with the uppermost bracket shoulders to lock the container inraised position, the lifter being operable toeff'ec't its engagementwith or disengagement from the bracket shoulders by moving the lifteraround its axis.

10. A washing machine, comprising in combination a tank adapted tocontain a suitable washing solution, a pair of oppositely and verticallydisposed U shaped brackets carried by the tank, each of said bracketshaving one leg thereof conformed to present two shoulders at differentheights with a guiding surface between them, a cylindrical container forarticlesto be washed,

the container in position,

journaled in said brackets for movement around a horizontal axis, theheads of said container provided with trunnions, a baillike lifterhaving the ends thereof journaled on said trunnions, and being thereprovidedment from the bracket shoulders by moving the lifter around itsaxis.

11. In a washing machine of the class described, in combinationwith acontainer for articles to be washed,'a tank arranged to contain asuitable washing solution and to inclose said, containeqmeans forpivotally ,for operation supporting the container and a-bail-like arounda horizontal axis,

' lifter pivoted'to said container at its axis of rotation, saidbail-like lifter normally as suming a position whereby the handleportion thereof rests against an adjacent wall of the tank, and when insuch position oograsped to release the'conoperating with means fixedwith respect-to V the tank to lock the container in position, saidbail-like lifter movable on its axis to release the container andadapted to be grasped to raise the container.-

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day ofJanuary,- A. D;

1 915. r r GEORGE H. MYRICK. Witnesses MARY A. Coon,- HERMAN A.NEmpRGER.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained to: a cents each, by draining the,aa l or t I I I washings-angle."

